A motorist has been caught driving with their head out of the window “Ace Ventura-style” with the car’s windscreen blocked by snow.
Merseyside Police said this is “simply not acceptable” and has reported the driver.
On Thursday, the force posted an image on X of a Mercedes car covered in snow with the caption: “Just when you think you have seen it all! This vehicle was being driven exactly as you see it in the picture with the driver hanging out of the window Ace Ventura-style.
“We didn’t think we needed to say it, but that is simply not acceptable and the driver has been reported.”
In the 1994 film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, actor Jim Carrey’s character drives a car with his head out of the window because the windscreen was smashed.
So, what punishment could the motorist be facing?
What is the punishment if you get caught driving with a frosty windscreen?
The RAC says “using a vehicle with parts or accessories in a ‘dangerous condition'” can result in a £60 fine and three points on your licence.
“Simply removing the ice from the driver’s side of the windscreen is not enough,” the agency adds. “You must de-ice the entire area, using the wipers when the ice has melted.
“The driver must by law have a full view of the road and traffic ahead of the motor vehicle, so it is well worth taking the extra time to fully clear your windscreen and your mirrors too.”
Motorists can also be fined £20 if they leave their vehicle unattended while putting the heaters on.
‘A death that could have been avoided entirely’
In 2019, a driver was jailed after killing a doctor after failing to clear frost from his windscreen.
Alexander Fitzgerald, who was 26 when he was imprisoned, drove into 30-year-old Jasjot Singhota after not seeing her on a zebra crossing in Tulse Hill, south-east London, in 2017. He stopped at the scene.
Fitzgerald was handed a 10-month prison sentence and a 23-month driving ban having pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving and causing death by driving uninsured.
Dr Singhota’s sister, Neha Santasalo, said clearing a windscreen during cold weather is a “simple action that takes no time at all but can prevent any other family having to go through what we have”.
Detective Constable Sejal Unadkat, who led the investigation, said the death of Dr Singhota “could have been avoided entirely”.
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